Page 87 of Ethan's Sky

“I think her dad and her uncle had something to do with it, but I can’t be certain. Ghost was a member of the club even back then and I think he may have usedclub businessas a way to keep her from me. I don’t understand why.” My temper begins to rise as I remember the betrayal revealed in church. How Ghost admitted to hiding her trail. Eli admitted to keeping her hidden in plain sight. Then thinking about the way Cash and the others adore her, protect her.

I belong to myself.Skyler’s words float through my mind.

“You think the club had something to do with her disappearing act, then do you?” I don’t answer, but my silence speaks for itself. “You weren’t even a prospect when Emily was killed, right?” I nod, he’s right. “Then you wouldn’t have been privileged to know the club’s involvement or lack thereof, aye?”

“Not then, no. I would think someone would’ve said something once I patched in though. Her father at least.”

“Well, let’s look at this from another perspective.” Kieran walks out of the cage. I follow him his office and sit on his black leather couch. He grabs a cold water from the small refrigerator behind the large mahogany desk and hands one to me. Leaning back on the seat I take several large gulps of the cold refreshment.

“The club aside. Let’s talk about a man, his daughter, and her uncle.” Leaning my elbows on my knees, I listen to what Kieran has to say. “You say, Skyler witnessed Emily’s death.”

“I think she did. She knows something about it because she was there and called the police. I assume she saw something.”

“Ah, never assume, son. We all know what it means when we do.” He’s teasing, I know, but he never loses the seriousness in his voice. “Since we don’t truly know what exactly it is the child saw, we can’t begin to assume what it may have done to her.”

“What do you mean?”

“If she watched your sister being beaten and raped…,” he says as he turns to the bottom drawer of his desk pulling out a tumbler and a bottle of Jameson. As he pours himself three fingers of whiskey, he continues. “I can only imagine the traumatic effect of something like that. Would have on a young girl, of what was she? Eighteen?”

I nod, taking in his words, trying to see his point.

“The person responsible, you said he got away, aye?” He knows the answer to his own question, so again, I say nothing, just nod. “Would you if she were your daughter, your niece, keep her where a killer roamed free? A man who may have seen her face, knew who she was. Someone who may have wanted to tie up loose ends when it came out there was a witness who could potentially put him in prison for life. Would you feel she would be safe here?”

“The Kings would have protected her.” He stares at me, one brow raised as he sips his whiskey, then swirls it around saying nothing.

“Aye, it seems they did.” I don’t respond. I’m at a loss for words.

“You think George and Ghost made her leave town.” Kieran doesn’t say anything as he continues to play with his whiskey in between drinks. “Ghost did say Eli was a family friend, aye?” I mumble to myself. “But why keep her from me? Ghost knew I was looking for her. They’re my brothers for fuck’s sake, Kieran!” The more I think about it the angrier I become.

“Ah, I see the problem now,” he says, leaning back in his finishing off his drink. “You’re a selfish bastard and all you care about it how the situation affectedyou.”

“What?”

“I just told you, seeing her best friend murdered would have been traumatic. I’m sure it scared the living shit out of such a young girl. Her safety may have been at risk, and you’re pissed off because no one told you where she was. No one thought enough aboutyour pretty little feelings, to give up the whereabouts of a young woman who may have very well been running for her life. I see why this has you so fucked in the head.”

“You’ve got to be fucking kidding me,” I yell throwing the half empty water bottle across the room. It hits a tall file cabinet and lands on the floor.

“Tell me, Ethan. Did you even truly love the lass?” My head snaps to face him. In three strides I’m in front of his desk leaning in. My heart is racing, my breathing ragged.

“The fuck do you mean by that, Kieran?” I growl.

“If you loved her so much, I can’t fathom why you’d be so upset to find out the very men who saved your sorry ass, were also protecting hers.”

He has a good point. I wasn’t even a prospect. The club didn’t have to tell me jack shit. Even after I became a member, it was before my time and by then, I had given up all hope of finding Skyler. I wouldn’t have told me either now that I think about it. I was a fucking wreck. I wasn’t stable enough to take care of myself. I know I wouldn’t have been any good for her. Especially if what Kieran suggests is true about her having been traumatized.

Jesus, I am an asshole.

“Maybe,” Kieran says, breaking me from my self-loathing thoughts. “…they didn’t tell you where she was or what was really going on, but do youknowwho killed Emily?”

“No. Some low life asshole she was dating.” I do know, but that information falls under club business.

“How can you be sure? Was he ever found?”

No. He wasn’t. “Without Skyler’s testimony, the cops couldn’t make an arrest. Only the drug dealer went to jail. The other charges wouldn’t stick without the witness there wasn’t enough evidence.” I sigh. “The fingerprints found in Emily’s car were her boyfriend’s. They used to ride to school together and hang out all the time. It wasn’t sufficient evidence to tie either of them to her death. And since he disappeared too, he was never questioned.”

“And what do we know about Emily’s boyfriend? Where was he when she was raped and murdered?”

“No one knows. That’s what always bothered me the most I think about Skyler’s disappearance. The person Emily was supposed to be hanging out with and her best friend and possible only witness both vanished.” I sit down in the chair in front of his desk, running my hand across the back of my neck.

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